Electric signaling apparatus and system for railways



.L t. Dv e h s m. e e h s 2 G I T T A L J. unluu d 0 M o W ELECTRICSIGNALTNS APPARATUS AND SYSTEM EUR RAILWAYS. No. 499,126.

Patented June 6, 1893.

Witwen/.wy

(No Model.)`

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. LATTIG'. ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS AND SYSTEMFOR RAILWAYS.

N0.'{199,126. Patented June 6, 1893.

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JACOB VILLIAM LATTIG, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,126, dated J' une6, 1893.

Application led February 2l, 1893. Serial No. 463,199. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JACOB WILLIAM LATTIG, of Easton, in the county ofNorthampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus and Systems forRailways, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is directed to an automatic block system of dangeror home and caution or distant signals similar to that described in myapplication for Letters Patent, Serial No. 456,380,1iled December27,1892; and like the latter contemplates the employment of an electricmotor for actuating the signal operating mechanism to move the signal tosafety.

The particular form of electric motor which I here describe inillustration of my invention is a solenoid or sucking magnet, to thecore or cores ot' which the signal actuating rod is connected.

The nature of my improvements can best be explained and understood byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is arepresentationin part diagrammatic--of an automatic block system ofdanger and caution signals involving my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlargedview of the solenoid employed by me. Figs. 3, et and 5 are diagrammaticrepresentations of modified circuitarrangements.

To illustrate the system I represent two insulated blocks or railwaytrack sections X X2, each provided with a signal pole carrying twopivoted and counterweighted semaphore blades B, B', the one home theother distant. For operating each blade there is a solenoid O, havingits core or cores connected by a rod a to the weighted end of theblade--- the arrangement being such that when the solenoid is energizedits core will be drawn up, thus lifting the rod a and moving the signalto safety. At a suitable point on each rod a. is interposed a short linka', to permit the armature or core to move up and down in a right line,notwithstanding the slight lateral movement of the upper portion of therod d in rising and falling due to its connection to thepivotedsemaphore blade. Each solenoid has its spools connected at the top to anangle' piece c preferably of non-magnetic material, the vertical limb ofwhich is bolted to the signal pole. The magnetic yoke for the spools isshown at d. It is placed on top of the horizontal limb of the anglepiece c, and is provided with short cores d which extend through theangle piece, into the interior of the spools. The yoke is held in placeby bolts e which pass down loosely through the yoke and screw into orare otherwise fastened to the angle piece. Encircling the bolts, andinterposed between the heads of the latter and the yoke d, are springsj. The object of this is to furnish a cushion or yielding and elasticbutter for the cores to bring up against, when they are drawn up. Other`forms of elastic cushion may be employed but l prefer the one justdescribed for the reason that when the armature cores are in contactwith the cores d ot' the yoke, there will be a closed magneticcircuit-which is particularly adapted for tractive power. Thus, afterthe signal has been pulled to safety, the current in the solenoid may begreatly reduced, and still serve to maintain the signal in thatposition.

To the operating rod a of the danger signal B is connected a lever bpivoted to a casting g secured to the pole. A like lever is connected tothe rod a of the caution signal; but this lever has no part in theelectrical functioning of the apparatus. The upper or danger signallever b however is by a pin and slot connection joined to a verticalrodh which is arranged to slide up and down in guides on the casting(,and has on it two insulated contacts m', n', which operate the one inconnection with the fixed contacts m, the other in connection with thefixed contacts n. In the path of each armature is the movable member 0of a switch which plays between two contacts p, lo', with the lower onep of which it normallyis in contact. In connection with each signaloperating appliance there is a relay D, which controls two sets ofcontacts w, y, the one set insulated from the other.

The circuit arrangements are as follows: For the home signal-the relay Dis included in a constantly closed track circuit l which is completedthrough the rails of the insulated track section or block appropriate tothat signal; a second circuit 2--the signal operating circuit, includesthe solenoid, and is completed through the contacts oc, and o, p; athird circuit 3'-which I `will call the locking and re- IDO leasingcircuit-is a shunt around the large battery of circuit2, and iscompleted through the contacts y and 0,19. This last named circuit alsoincludes the solenoid, and is supplied :from a small battery of onlyenough power to energize the solenoid sufficiently to hold the cores inthe position to which they are brought through the closure of circuit 2.There is the same system of circuits l", 2X, 3X, for the caution ordistant signal, save that the primarycircuit l is a grounded circuit,of'

tion X2, traveling in the direction of the ar` row. Consequently insection X track circuit'l is closed through relay D, the latter isenergized and by attracting its-armaturehas closed the contacts nay.Signal operating cirl cuit 2'has thereby'been closed,vwith' the result vof causingthe solenoid to draw up its armature, 5

. thus lowering thehome signal to safety. The armature however by thetime it has moved `up far enough to set the signal'to safety,`fhas`lifted the key o from contact @,thus'breaking.` the signal operatingcircuit 2,and has brought yit intocontactwith contact p thuscompletingthe locking and releasing circuit 3, by which the-solenoid is energizedjust enough to hold' its armature in place. -Bythis movement thecontacts m, m and n, fn', controlled by the home signal B 'have beenclosed. The cau-j `tiener distant Asignal -B however of section X stillremains at dan-ger,`be,causewhile the contacts m, m of its circuit lareclosed, the

contacts n, 'n' of that circuit controlled by the lhome signal ofsectionX2 still remain open,

this being due tothe fact that asthe train Y is still on section X2, thetrack/circuit l of that section is completed through'the'path of lowerresistanceoffered by the wheels Aand axles ofv the train,thus cuttingout the relay magnet- VD of section X2, and consequently putting ibothof its signals to danger.

the caution signal will go to safety.

-In Figs. 3, 4 and '5 are shown different cir- 'p cuit arrangementswhich maybe-used as subf stitutes for the particular arrangement of ciry'cu-it 3, (the locking and releasing circuit) sho-Wn in Fig. l-all ofthese arrangements 4having a common object viz: to cut down, Aafter thesignal 'has been brought to safety, the-battery power from that requiredto bring the signallto'that position'to that-requisite to hold it inthat position. In Fig. 4 for exam notch j. tinue until the circuit isbrokenat x, when `themagnetfEwill release its armature and 'thesignalconsequently will at once rise to As soon l1ow -everfas the train Ypasses lbeyond section X2, :thesignals in that section will stand as-nowi represented for section X ,while in section X Y set of contacts InFig. 3, the upper contact p is dispensed with and the circuit 3 iscompleted through a constantly closed shunt 3 around the contacts o, p,containing a resistance R, which will permit the passage of only currentenough to cause the solenoid to hold its armature at safety. Relay D inthis instance also has only one set of contacts In Fig. 5, the relay Das beforecontrols only one set of cont-acts But in this figure, thecircuit arrangements differ from any shown in the preceding tigures inthat the solenoid is cut out as soon as it has done its work, andan'electro magnetically controlled detent or lock isrelied on to holdthe signal in the safety position to-which the solenoid has brought it.

\ To thisend the locking and releasing circuit 3 is in a shunt from the-main operating circuit 2, around the solenoid, and is completed through the upper contact 19'; and it includes alocking and releasingmagnet -E,and a resistance R so proportioned as to permit the lpassageofonlycurrent enough toenergize properly the magnet lE, |llhe magnet rE ismounted in a box Fsecured to the signal pole, in the line of-thesignaloperatin g rod @,which passes'through'the box as shown. Pivoted to thebox is the armature lever E of thefmag- Vnet `1E, which lever on itsface next tothe rod acarriesfa initier-shaped nose ordog z',1which, whentherod is in the position which it occupies when'the signal is atsafety, registers with a like shaped notch j on the rod a. `Under "thisarrangement when the circuit2 is closed,

Vin rising willhave 'lifted thekey ofi-cmp into contact'with pthus-cutting-outthe solenoid and lat the-same time closing the shunt 3 caround the latter, whereby the locking yand -releasingmagnet E isenergizedand Lby attracting its armaturelever locks the rod ain place bythe engagement of thefdog and the This -condition of affairs will condan-ger.

'It willl of course'be understood that-the circuits represented in Figs.3, 4, 5 are'applicableas Well Vto the distant signal aste-the homesignal.

Having new described my improvements andthel manner inwhich the same areor may j becarried into effect, what Ifclaim herein as new and of my owninvention is@ 1. The`v combination of a series of-home or danger signalsB; a-series of circuits l, 2, 3, for each home signal; a relay -D ineachcircuit l controlling contacts -in'the other circuits; a solenoid ineach-circuit-2, having its armature core or cores connected to andadapted to operate the home signal; a series of caution or distantsignals B', a series of circuits 1X, 2X, 3X, for each distant signal;two sets of contacts m, m and n, n', in each circuit 1X controlled theone by the home signal mechanism of the same section, the other by thehome signal mechanism of the section next in advance; a solenoid in eachcircuit 2X having its armature core or cores connected to and adapted tooperate the cau tion or distant signal; and a contact controlled by themoving part of each solenoid (pertaining to both the home and thedistant signal mechanism) for successively completing each circuit 2, 3,or 2X, 3X, appropriate to its signal, all as hereinbefore specified. l

2. The combination of the signal, the solenoid and its armature core orcores connected to and adapted to operate the signal; the signaloperating circuit including the solenoid, and completed through contacts0,29; the signal locking and releasing circuit completed throughcontacts 0,29 and containing the locking and releasing magnet E; thearmature lever E' connected to a dog adapted to engage the signaloperating rod; and the primary circuit including the relay D andcontrolling contacts through which the signal operating and locking andreleasing circuits are completedunder the arrangement and for jointoperation as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of the signal, the solenoid having its armature coresconnected to and adapted to operate the signal, and provided with aspring yielding yoke with cores entering the spools of the solenoid toconstitute an elastic buffer for the armature cores, substantially asand for the purposes hereinbefore setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB WILLIAM LATTIG.

Witnesses:

HARRY C. FREY, OsMAN F. REINHARD.

